Product Analysis Request System

Lattice Semiconductor Corporation maintains a Worldwide Product Analysis Request (PAR) system to provide prompt responses to customer inquiries on integrated circuits, packaging and shipment materials, and anything of an administrative nature. The focus of the system is on identification of root cause, and the corrective actions necessary to resolve or eliminate the problem. Permanent solutions and improved systems are used to prevent recurrence. In addition, this system provides Lattice information used to improve the product design, manufacturing, and service areas. The goal is to improve our systems and services to prevent future issues.

Using the PAR system is straightforward. The customer only needs to contact their local Lattice sales office, Field Applications Engineer, or sales representative. The Field Representative will submit a request with the necessary information to the Lattice factory starting the process. A PAR tracking number will be assigned, and routing information will be provided if parts need to be returned. During the analysis process, communication is maintained with the Field Representative to ensure complete analysis and correlation of root cause to customer reported symptoms.

Turnaround times are set to satisfy the customer's need for resolution, and Lattice's need for rapid information to resolve quality, reliability, or corrective issues. Lattice targets the cycle times in Electronics Industry Association specification EIA-671 for Initial and Final Responses.

The objective of the PAR system is to provide timely analysis to customer requests, and provide valuable feedback to our systems and development processes. This ensures Lattice will provide the highest quality and reliability Programmable Logic Product available.

Device Analysis Capability 

Capability at Lattice Headquarters is as follows:

Physical measurement equipment: Calipers, measuring microscope, package bond test, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Scanning Acoustic Microscope (SAM).

Electrical test and measurement equipment: High speed Automated Test Equipment (ATE), High speed oscilloscopes, pulse generators, custom AC load boards, Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR), various DC measurement tools.

Failure Analysis Capabilities: Photon Emission Microscope (PEM), liquid crystal analysis and probe stations, electrical test equipment, cross-sectioning, parallel polishing and backside polishing equipment, wet/dry chemical etching, high magnification optical microscopes, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Scanning Acoustic Microscope (SAM).

Capability at qualified outside laboratories is as follows:

Focused Ion Beam (FIB), Real Time X-ray radiography (RTX), residual gas analysis and leak test, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES).